Socialists heading in haste toward the “reform” congress Boycott and denial — the old party’s alternative Yesterday, the chairman of the SP, Mr. Rexhep Meidani, again sat beside the Slav delegation at the meeting of the delegation of the Standing Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Albania’s absence of membership in it does not come as any surprise. These absences have led people to think there is a “friendly” leaning toward the East. And on the other hand, our country is trying to move closer to and integrate with the West. It is no coincidence that this move by the chairman of the SP has been described as a “turning point.” Socialists today appear interested in creating other alibis. They will need these alibis to justify the parliamentary boycott as well. There are signs that the relations between the SP and the institutions have entered such a phase that it is approaching the behavior of the “old party.” This is not the first time that the socialists have attacked constitutional institutions as well as the independent organs of the state. Although they call themselves reformers, they are not managing to free themselves from the old past and from the same legacy they have inherited from it. If they have entered such a path, it seems they are unable to break away from the examples of the past. Meanwhile, on the internal front too, there is an unusual hurry for the upcoming congress. The talk of “reform” sounds more like an attempt to hide the real crisis this party is going through. This crisis is also evident in the relationship the SP has with its allies and with public opinion. If “reform” means a return to old formulas, then nothing has changed. If it means continuing boycott and denial, then they may not even win people’s trust, and they remain from the outset disrespectful of institutions. Page 3

Letter from the Secretary General of the Parliamentary Union to the Chairman of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly Your organizational abilities, your intelligence, your humanism. We remain in expectation of the continuation of close and sincere cooperation with you. The Chairman of the Conference of Mediterranean and Arab countries has received a letter written on this occasion. Mr. Antonio Cariglia, Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, writes to Mr. Pjetër Arbnori, Chairman of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, among other things: “Dear President, I am pleased to inform you that the Union has among other things informed us a few days ago of your obtaining a high post, in line with the new standards in Albania. I congratulate you on this success and assure you of the assistance and support of the Secretariat, as well as of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, and of its full disposal to provide assistance and continue cooperation with us during your mandate. We remain in expectation of the continuation of close and sincere cooperation with you.”

Last night on the outskirts of Tirana Police officer Gazen Nuzi, 26 years old, was killed The criminals in front of the police station exchanged fire with his brother Besim Nuzi, 32 years old, an officer of the Public Order Department. Last night around 8:30 p.m. in the place called “Fresku” in Tirana, unknown persons attacked with firearms the citizens of the police station, Besim and Gazen Nuzi. The automatic gunfire left Gazen Nuzi dead on the spot, while his brother, Besim Nuzi, was seriously wounded. The perpetrators of this crime fled quickly. A large police force arrived at the scene and immediately began investigations. It is preliminarily suspected that the murder was carried out for revenge motives. The possible perpetrators have been identified and efforts are under way to arrest them. The two victims were born in the village of Tirana, they had

Mr. Gjongjeçaj: Albanians, after the roundtable boycott by the SP, are left to read the signs Briefly? and they still do not have it. In this context of opponents, there is still more to be done, apparently, and it seems the force with the tendency to put them forward is making itself felt. Unlike the calculations of foreign analysts, the socialists are not managing to understand that the era of political monopolies is over. Their stance is not only an expression of an inability to compete under new rules, but it may also lose the trust of people who have from the outset been accustomed to the chairman’s disrespectful behavior from prison. “It is not a sign of illness but of a deep crisis and defeat that has engulfed this party”

In Durrës, Matko re-elects Nano’s loyalists Agasi steals the colleague’s votes SP conference, page SP, to take the name Agrarian Party SP conference in Tushë-Njës[?] The readers of “RD” and “Albania” are diversionists Page 3

Yesterday, the chairman of the SP, Mr. Rexhep Meidani, again sat beside the Slav delegation at the meeting of the delegation of the Standing Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Albania’s absence of membership in it does not come as any surprise. In this context, many have seen this as a symbol of the old closeness. Socialists seem to be preparing a new strategy to justify the parliamentary boycott and the denial of institutions. This behavior seems more like that of an old party than of a reforming force. They speak of change, but they do not put an end to yesterday’s practices. This is another sign that boycott and denial have become their political alternative.

SP conference in Tushë-Njës[?] Page 3